Better Archery Unofficial Port

An unofficial modern port and complete recreation of the Better Archery mod by Zaggy1024 for Minecraft 1.12.2

---

Note: Development is slow because I don't like adding blocks and items I'm more into optimization, and for me, it's harder to create a complex mod than to optimize an existing one

Features

Custom Bows

Four unique bows with balanced stats and complete charging animation:

Bow	Durability	Charging Speed	Damage	Arrow Speed	Range
Long Bow	384	1.5x (slow)	1.0x	2.0x	2.0x
Recurve Bow	256	0.9x	1.1x	1.25x	1.25x
Composite Bow	1024	0.5x (fast)	1.25x	0.65x	1.0x
Yumi Bow	384	1.15x	1.0x	1.5x	1.5x

Each bow features:

• 3-stage charging animation (0%, 65%, 90%)
• Custom textures with visible bowstring
• Unique stats that affect gameplay
• Full compatibility with vanilla enchantments

Special Arrows

Six types of arrows with unique effects:

Fire Arrow

• Effect: Sets the target and blocks on fire
• Fire Duration: 5 seconds (configurable)
• Recipe: 2 Blaze Powder + 1 Arrow = 4 Fire Arrows

Torch Arrow

• Effect: Places a torch where it lands
• Best for: Lighting up caves and dark areas
• Recipe: 1 Torch + 1 Arrow + 1 Stick = 4 Torch Arrows

Impact Arrow

• Effect: Spawns a TNT explosion on impact
• Explosion Radius: 4.0 blocks (configurable)
• Damage: Uses vanilla explosion system (realistic)
• Recipe: 2 TNT + 1 Arrow = 4 Impact Arrows

Ender Arrow

• Effect: Teleports the player where the arrow lands
• Similar to: Ender Pearl but with a bow
• Recipe: 2 Ender Pearls + 1 Arrow = 4 Ender Arrows

Splitting Arrow

• Effect: Splits into 3 arrows on impact
• Damage per split: 50% of original damage
• Number of splits: 3 (configurable)
• Recipe: 1 Redstone + 1 Arrow + 1 Feather = 4 Splitting Arrows

Drill Arrow

• Effect: Pierces through blocks and destroys them
• Max blocks: 10 (configurable)
• Power loss: 0.2 per block (configurable)
• Cannot destroy: Bedrock, Obsidian, blocks with hardness ≥ 50
• Power based on: Bow charging time
• Recipe: 2 Iron Ingots + 1 Arrow + 1 Stick = 4 Drill Arrows

Quiver System

Empty Quiver

• Function: Container to store arrows
• Capacity: 64 arrows
• Usage: Right-click to collect arrows from the ground or inventory
• Equippable: Chest, legs, main hand, off-hand

Quiver with Arrows

• Function: Full quiver that supplies arrows automatically
• NBT System: Saves arrow type and quantity
• Extraction: Sneak + right-click to remove arrows
• Rendering: Visible on player's back (configurable)
• Compatibility: Works with all mod bows

Advanced quiver features:

• Saves exact arrow type (including potion effects)
• Shows correct arrow name in tooltip
• Fires the correct arrow when using the bow
• Compatible with arrows from other mods

Quiver Skeleton

A rare skeleton that spawns with a quiver and special arrows:

• Spawn probability: 3% (configurable)
• Equipment:
  • Quiver with 10-30 random arrows
  • 30% chance to have a special bow
• Drops: Drops the quiver with its arrows when killed
• Biomes: Spawns in all biomes where skeletons appear
• Configurable: Can be completely disabled

Note: Arrows fired by dispensers cannot be picked up from the ground.

Configuration System

Complete configuration file at config/BetterArchery.cfg:

General

• renderQuiverOnBack - Enable/disable quiver rendering
• debugMode - Show debug information in console

Arrows

• enableFireArrow - Enable/disable Fire Arrow
• enableTorchArrow - Enable/disable Torch Arrow
• enableImpactArrow - Enable/disable Impact Arrow
• enableEnderArrow - Enable/disable Ender Arrow
• enableSplittingArrow - Enable/disable Splitting Arrow
• enableDrillArrow - Enable/disable Drill Arrow
• enablePotionArrow - Enable/disable Potion Arrow
• impactArrowExplosionRadius - Explosion radius (1.0 - 10.0)
• drillArrowMaxBlocks - Maximum blocks to destroy (1 - 50)
• drillArrowPowerLoss - Power loss per block (0.05 - 1.0)
• splittingArrowSplits - Number of splits (1 - 10)
• fireArrowDuration - Fire duration in seconds (1 - 30)

Bows

• longBowDurability - Long Bow durability (1 - 5000)
• recurveBowDurability - Recurve Bow durability (1 - 5000)
• compositeBowDurability - Composite Bow durability (1 - 5000)
• yumiBowDurability - Yumi Bow durability (1 - 5000)
• longBowDamageMult - Damage multiplier (0.5 - 3.0)
• recurveBowDamageMult - Damage multiplier (0.5 - 3.0)
• compositeBowDamageMult - Damage multiplier (0.5 - 3.0)
• yumiBowDamageMult - Damage multiplier (0.5 - 3.0)

Mobs

• enableQuiverSkeleton - Enable/disable spawn
• quiverSkeletonSpawnWeight - Spawn probability (1 - 100)
• minArrows - Minimum arrows in quiver (1 - 64)
• maxArrows - Maximum arrows in quiver (1 - 64)
• specialBowChance - Special bow probability (0.0 - 1.0)

Compatibility

• JEI - Item descriptions in the item viewer
• BackTools - Displays the quiver on the player's back
• CraftTweaker - For Modpacks (One of my goals was to add compatibility with this mod so you can modify item properties)

---

Usage

Bows

Bows work like the vanilla bow but with different stats:

1. Equip the bow in your main hand
2. Hold right-click to charge
3. Release to fire

Each bow has a 3-stage charging animation that visually shows the power.

Quiver

Fill the quiver

1. From the ground: Right-click near arrows on the ground
2. From inventory: Right-click with arrows in your inventory
3. The quiver will transform into "Quiver with Arrows"

Use the quiver

1. Equip the quiver in any inventory slot
2. Equip a bow in your main hand
3. Fire - The quiver will supply arrows automatically

Extract arrows

1. Sneak (Shift by default)
2. Right-click with the quiver in hand
3. Arrows will be transferred to your inventory

Special Arrows

Each arrow has a specific use:

• Fire Arrow: Ideal for fighting mobs or setting structures on fire
• Torch Arrow: Perfect for exploring caves without manually placing torches
• Impact Arrow: Useful for clearing areas or causing group damage
• Ender Arrow: Excellent for quick mobility
• Splitting Arrow: Ideal for fighting groups of enemies
• Drill Arrow: Perfect for mining or creating tunnels

---

Crafting Recipes

Quiver

LFL
L L
LFL

L = Leather
F = String

Arrows

Fire Arrow

 B 
 A 
 B 

B = Blaze Powder
A = Arrow

Torch Arrow

 T 
 A 
 S 

T = Torch
A = Arrow
S = Stick

Impact Arrow

 T 
 A 
 T 

T = TNT
A = Arrow

Ender Arrow

 E 
 A 
 E 

E = Ender Pearl
A = Arrow

Splitting Arrow

 R 
 A 
 F 

R = Redstone
A = Arrow
F = Feather

Drill Arrow

 I 
IAI
 S 

I = Iron Ingot
A = Arrow
S = Stick

Bows

Long Bow

  S
 LS
S F

S = String
L = Log
F = Feather

Recurve Bow

 SL
S I
 SL

S = String
L = Stick
I = Iron Ingot

Composite Bow

ISI
S S
ISI

I = Iron Ingot
S = String

Yumi Bow

  B
 BS
B S

B = Stick
S = String

---

Bug Reporting

If you find a bug, please report it in the Issues section, as it helps me improve the mod which is in a very early phase of development.

Please include the following information:

• Mod version
• Forge version
• Detailed description of the problem
• Steps to reproduce the error
• Relevant logs (if possible)
• Screenshots or videos (if you want, not required)

---

Future Roadmap

Long-term Ideas

• Combined Arrows System: Merge multiple arrow effects into a single projectile
• New Bow Variants: Expand the arsenal with more unique tiers and stats
• Advanced Optimization: Refine rendering and NBT data tracking for the Quiver system
• Modpack Customization: Implement a file-based system (JSON/Config) to allow modpack creators to add custom bows and arrows dynamically

---

License

This project is a complete recreation of the original Better Archery concept by Zaggy1024. While the original mod was closed-source, this modern rewrite is licensed under the MIT License

• Original mod: Better Bows - CurseForge
• Original source code: Unavailable (Closed Source)
• This port: Built from scratch based on decompiled logic analysis

All rights to the original concept, names, and design belong to Zaggy1024

---

Credits

Original Author

• Zaggy1024 - Creator and designer of the original Better Archery mod

1.12.2 Port & Development

• Onyx-i7 - Port management, complete code recreation, and implementation of new features

---

Contact

• GitHub Repository: Onyx-i7/Better-Archery
• Issue Tracker: Report a bug here